Eustis Fire: 1 hurt in building explosion, gas leak, fire, officials say

Gas leak sparks explosion at Eustis jewelry store

A natural gas leak triggered a fiery explosion at a jewelry store in Eustis on Thursday, blasting out windows, scattering debris across the sidewalk, and sending a woman to the hospital with severe burns. Fire officials said crews had been working outside the building and believed the leak had been contained when the blast occurred, rattling nearby businesses up to 200 feet away.

EUSTIS, Fla. - A suspected gas leak caused an unexpected explosion and fire in Lake County on Thursday morning, and sent one person to the hospital, according to Eustis Fire Chief Michael Swanson. 

The explosion happened shortly before 11 a.m. at the "Gemstones Jewelry Rocks" building on State Route 19, he said. Photos and videos shared with FOX 35 showed flames inside the building as smoke billowed out of several business fronts, as well as debris scattered several feet into the building's parking lot. 

Eustis Fire Chief: Building is ‘a total loss’

What we know:

A jewelry business – with the words "Gemstones Jewelry Rocks" on the storefront – appeared to have glass, debris and signs on the sidewalk, aerial footage captured by SKYFOX showed. 

The business is a total loss, Eustis Fire Chief Michael Swanson said in a Dec. 4 press conference. 

Prior to the fire, city crews were doing road work and there was a gas leak in a natural gas line. The gas leak was crimped off and crews were monitoring it before the business exploded. 

The Eustis Fire Department alerted the public on Thursday, Dec. 4 to avoid the area west of S.R. 19 due to a structure fire. Nearby businesses were evacuated when the gas line was crimped as a precaution. 

One woman who was in the building when it exploded was critically injured. She was airlifted to the hospital. 

By 1:30 p.m., no fire or smoke was seen at the business. 

‘No gas service’ 

The jewelry business was not connected to gas service, Swanson said. It was all electric. 

He's not sure how the fire started, as Swanson said it will be a challenge to find out how the gas leak occurred if that is found to be the cause of the explosion. 

Ongoing investigation

Florida’s State Fire Marshal is continuing to investigate the root cause of the fire, with samples and scene details under review, the city of Eustis said in a Dec. 5 press release. 

"Our crews responded swiftly and worked to bring the scene under control," Michael Swanson, Eustis Fire Chief, said in a statement. "We are grateful for the support of our partner agencies and the cooperation of the community."